Officials on scene say the roadway is now open and traffic is flowing again after a fatal accident shut down traffic on Cape Coral Parkway.More >>

The fatal accident in Cape Coral Wednesday was Southwest Florida's third in just one week. We spoke to experts to find out what some of the contributing factors may be to so many deaths to early in the year.

Many people we spoke to Wednesday say they can't help but wonder why these accidents happen in the first place,

"It's difficult to predict exactly why we may be having so many of those crashes that are out there," said Syndi Bultman, Injury Prevention and Resource Manager with Lee Memorial Health Systems.

Last year Lee County saw three vehicle-versus-pedestrian fatalities – a decrease compared to 2010's number of nine.

And so far, 2012 isn't looking so good.

Bultman says there are some factors that could contribute to the recent spike.

"We do have an increase in our traffic right now because it is season for us. We do have construction areas and people getting impatient with it and we do have people that are distracted," she said.

But it seems drivers aren't all to blame.

In just a few moments Wednesday, we watched as five people crossed the busy US-41 where there was no crosswalk.

One of them didn't even look both ways to see whether there was any oncoming traffic.

And Bultman says the roads don't help.

"Lee County is not a pedestrian and bicyclist friendly county," she said.

She says whether you're behind the wheel or walking the streets, responsibility lies in everyone's hands.

"They are crashes, they are not accidents. They're crashes because most are predictable and anything that is predictable is preventable," she said.

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